SALISBURY — Fifth-ranked Catawba tacked up 13 hits, including six of the extra-base variety, and lit up the scoreboard for a trio of multi-run innings on the way to a 13-1 victory over No. 40 The University of North Carolina at Pembroke baseball team on Tuesday afternoon at Newman Park.
The setback marked the third-straight loss for the Braves (6-4) who fell to 10-8 all-time against the Indians in Salisbury. The Indians (12-1) have now won 11-straight games and have outscored their last eight opponents, 83-13.
Cameron Morrison broke the deadlock with a two-out solo homer down the left field line to give the hosts a lead they would not relinquish in the bottom of the second. It was the first of two home runs in the game for Morrison.
The Indians tacked up a 6-spot in the third inning to push their lead out to 7-0. Heath Mitchem hit a 3-run homer with one out on the board, and Morrison added his second homer on a three-run bomb with two outs.
Mitchem (walk) and Jackson Raper (double) both reached safely to lead off the fifth, and Joe Butts doubled in both runs with the next at-bat to pad the advantage out to nine runs.
The Indians capped their part of the scoring on the day with four runs in the sixth, including two as a result of a costly infield error by the Braves. Raper and Hunter Shepherd both hit RBI doubles.
Dawson Painter spoiled the shutout for the hosts by hammering a first-pitch offering from Pearce Wilhelm over the wall in left field in the top of the ninth.
The Braves will step back into Peach Belt Conference play this weekend when they head to Greenwood, S.C., for a three-game series against Lander (5-7, 1-2 PBC).
Lady Braves finish 12th at Lady Moc Classic
LAKELAND, Fla. — Senior Alexandria Bare fired off a 1-over-par 73 in the final round, while sophomore Maddy Corley carded a 2-over-par 74, to lead the UNC Pembroke women’s golf team to a 12th place finish at the Florida Southern-hosted Lady Moc Classic on Tuesday afternoon.
Bare (+9) recorded four birdies on Tuesday final round to jump 13 spots on the individual leaderboard and finish among a seven-way tie for 18th place — a group that also included Corley (+9) who tallied three birdies in the final round. Parker Melting (+15) finished in a tie for 39th place, Katy Flax (+23) shared 71st place with two other players and Casey Burroughs (+26) was among a three-way tie for 74th place.
Second-ranked Nova Southeastern (+18), one of 10 nationally-ranked teams competing at the Grasslands Golf & Country Club, finished nine strokes ahead of the rest of the 17-team field to claim medalist honors. Fifth-ranked Barry (+27) and 14th-ranked Lynn finished in a tie for second place, while 21st-ranked Florida Tech (+30) and 19th-ranked Saint Leo (+35) rounded out the top 5.
The Lady Braves will be back in action again, March 4 and 5, when they head to Bluffton, S.C., for the Low Country Invitational at the Crescent Point Golf Club.